The clan of the cave bear_ a novel - Jean M. Auel [179]
Suddenly Ayla was horrified. Oh, no! What if Broud makes me do it again? I won’t go back. I can’t go back. Where can I go? My little cave? No, it’s too close, and I can’t stay there in winter. I have to go back, I can’t live alone, where else can I go? And I can’t leave Iza, and Creb, and Uba. What am I going to do? If Broud wants it, I can’t refuse him. None of the other women would even try. What’s wrong with me? He never wanted that when I was still a girl. Why did I have to become a woman? I was so happy about it, now I wouldn’t care if I was a girl all my life. I’ll never have a baby anyway. What good is being a woman if you can’t have a baby? Especially if a man can make you do something like that? What good is it anyway? What’s it for?
The sun was low when she plodded back up the knoll to look for her ptarmigan. The eggs, cushioned so carefully, were crushed, and stained the front of her wrap. She looked back at the creek and remembered how happy she was watching the birds. It seemed ages ago, another time, another place. She dragged herself back to the cave, dreading every step.
As Iza watched the sun disappear behind the trees in the west, she grew more anxious. She walked partway up all the paths in the nearby woods and to the ridge to scan the slope toward the steppes. A woman shouldn’t be out alone; I never do like it when Ayla hunts, Iza thought. What if she was attacked by some animal? Maybe she’s hurt? Creb was concerned, too, though he tried not to show it. Even Brun began to worry as it grew dark. Iza was the first to see her walking toward the cave from the ridge. She started to scold her for making her worry, but stopped before her first gesture.
“Ayla! You’re hurt! What happened?”
“Broud beat me,” she motioned, her expression dull.
“But why?”
“I disobeyed him,” the young woman gestured as she walked into the cave and straight to the hearth.
What could have happened? Iza wondered. Ayla hasn’t disobeyed Broud for years. Why would she rebel against him now? And why didn’t he tell me he saw her? He knew I was worried. He’s been back since noon, why is Ayla so late? Iza cast a quick glance in the direction of Broud’s hearth and saw him staring across the boundary stones at Ayla, against all good manners, with a pleased smirk on his face.
Creb had taken in the whole scene: Ayla’s bruised and swollen face and look of utter desolation, Broud watching her from the moment she returned with an arrogant sneer. He knew Broud’s hatred had grown over the years—her placid obedience seemed to affect him worse than her girlish rebellion—but something had happened that gave Broud a sense of power over her. As perceptive as Creb was, he could not have guessed the cause.
Ayla was afraid to leave the hearth the next day, dawdling over her morning meal as long as she could. Broud was waiting for her. Thinking about his intense excitement of the day before had him stimulated and ready. When he gave her the signal, she almost bolted, but forced herself to assume the position. She tried to repress her cries, but the pain forced them from her lips, causing curious glances from those who happened to be nearby. They could no more understand why she was crying out in pain than they could understand Broud’s sudden interest in her.
Broud reveled in his newfound dominance over Ayla and used her often, though many people wondered why he chose the ugly woman he hated over his own comely mate. After a time, it was no longer painful, but Ayla detested it. And it was her hatred that Broud enjoyed. He had put her in her place, gained superiority over her, and finally found a way to make her react to him. It didn’t matter that her response was negative, he preferred it. He wanted to see her cower, to see her fear, to see her force herself to submit. Just thinking about it stimulated him. He had always had a strong drive; now he was more sexually active than ever. Every morning that he